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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Sep 3.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Surg. 2010 Jul;252(1):149–157. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181df0401

TABLE 3.

Patient and EMS Characteristics: Transported Blunt Traumatic Injury

Alabama Dallas Iowa Ottawa-OPALS Pittsburgh Portland Seattle–King County Toronto Vancouver ROC Total
N 311 477 292 463 287 263 1049 1400 275 4818
Age, median (IQR) 35 (26) 35 (27) 41 (43) 37 (39) 35 (35) 38 (31) 38 (36) 45 (49) 37 (26) 39 (36)
Gender: % male 70.1 71.3 62.0 65.2 54.7 71.1 63.5 58.1 70.2 63.4
Injury mechanism
 Motorvehicle occupant 66.2% 40.9% 20.2% 24.0% 34.5% 17.1% 27.1% 13.8% 39.6% 27.0%
 Motorcyclist 6.8% 4.2% 2.7% 4.8% 4.5% 4.9% 4.6% 1.9% 9.8% 4.2%
 Pedestrian 7.4% 8.4% 4.8% 9.7% 7.7% 11.0% 8.2% 5.2% 21.1% 8.1%
 Fall 9.3% 30.2% 49.7% 41.7% 35.9% 42.2% 44.3% 56.2% 15.3% 41.9%
 Other blunt mechanism 9.0% 14.3% 19.5% 19.2% 16.4% 19.0% 13.5% 2.9% 12.0% 11.5%
Field characteristics
 SBP ≤90 31.5% 39.2% 21.6% 35.0% 53.0% 14.4% 39.6% 52.4% 41.1% 40.7%
 RR <10 or >29 24.4% 18.4% 42.5% 24.8% 30.3% 27.4% 31.3% 19.4% 49.1% 26.9%
 Advanced airway 19.6% 13.0% 5.5% 16.2% 10.5% 23.2% 31.3% 3.3% 45.5% 16.7%
 GCS ≤12 82.6% 74.2% 50.7% 64.6% 43.6% 82.5% 40.6% 45.6% 82.9% 55.9%
Transport type
 Ground 73.3% 96.2% 100.0% 97.6% 80.8% 94.7% 94.9% 98.3% 86.2% 93.8%
 Air 26.7% 3.8% 0.0% 2.4% 19.2% 5.3% 5.1% 1.7% 13.8% 6.2%
Advanced airway
 Oral/nasal ET 21.2% 12.2% 6.5% 18.8% 15.3% 24.3% 31.8% 3.2% 46.9% 17.5%
 Cricothyrotomy 0.0% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
 Other 0.3% 2.7% 3.1% 0.4% 9.1% 19.0% 19.5% 0.3% 1.1% 6.5%
 None 78.5% 85.5% 92.5% 81.4% 83.6% 75.3% 67.9% 96.6% 52.7% 81.9%
Paralyzed/sedated 4.8% 0.2% 1.4% 0.2% 4.2% 9.5% 10.4% 0.2% 24.0% 4.9%
Hemorrhage control 17.0% 3.6% 13.0% 14.7% 4.2% 1.5% 11.9% 9.6% 16.0% 10.3%

EMS indicates emergency medical service; IQR, interquartile range; SBP, systolic blood pressure; RR, respiratory rate; GCS, Glasgow Coma Score; ET, endotracheal tube.